Restaurant Review: A new grill on Castro Street

by Jim Harrington

Upscale California cuisine is one of the few things that Castro Street in Mountain View has needed for quite a long time. In that regard, Vivaca Grill is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. The chefs--Steven Long, Andrew Trice, III, David Man and Sylvia Polanski--create some wonderful meals that will surely please even the most discriminating palate. But there are a few problems that need to be worked out before the restaurant can be called great.

Some of these problems should work themselves out over time since the establishment is only a few months old. One that I think we are stuck with is the design. Visually, Vivaca is a strange hodge-podge of architectural styles--from modern to Victorian--that simply does not go down easily. One of my first thoughts was that the restaurant wasn't properly lit, but after looking around a bit, I wonder if it would actually improve things to shine more light on the surroundings. Probably not.

The service is a less worrisome situation, though still in need of help. There are minor things such as a bit of silverware confusion and major things such as it took a full 15 minutes after sitting down before our water glasses were filled for the first time. A bit of cork in the wine glass would fall somewhere in between.

Also, the portions are rather small--especially for the price. Vivaca isn't cheap by any standard. Dinner for two runs upward of $100. Finally, the selection is rather limited.

Those kinks aside, a meal at Vivaca Grill can still be quite a pleasurable occasion. Start your meal with a cosmopolitan from the full bar or a glass of wine and take a gander at the short list of appetizers. Passing over the seared scallops ($11.50) and oven-baked flat bread ($10), I went with the tasty crab cakes ($9). The crab is finely ground and served with a spicy Spanish relish and salad of mango, avocado and watercress. True to the category, the rather smallish serving serves to whet one's appetite. And I mean "one's," since there isn't really enough to share.

The salad list consists of Caesar ($7), house ($5.50) and walnut and pear ($7). I tried the house and was pleased by the attention-grabbing champagne vinaigrette, but was again disappointed in the size.

Entrees consist of such staples as grilled rack of lamb served with minted couscous and rosemary-infused lamb jus ($22), roasted breast of chicken stuffed with mousse ($18.50) and grilled Atlantic salmon ($17). The Duck Three Ways ($22) is particularly interesting. In this dish, the bird is prepared in--you guessed it!--three ways: seared and roasted, smoked sausage and duck confit.

I tried the popular lobster ravioli ($16.50) and enjoyed the good-sized helping of lobster-stuffed pasta pillows, which are served in a rich shitake cream sauce. I do, however, question the diced fresh tomatoes served on top. They added very little. I was also quite pleased with the 21-day, dry-aged New York steak ($23), which is served with mashed potatoes and wild mushroom ragout.

For dessert, try the crŠme brulee ($7), flavored nicely with vanilla bean, or the white chocolate cheesecake ($7), which is served with a dark chocolate sauce. Vivaca also offers a good selection of after-dinner drinks, including some fine single malt scotch.

Vivaca Grill, 800 California St., Mountain View; (650) 318-8010. Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5:30-10 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 5:30-10 p.m. Sat. Credit cards are accepted.

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